A resistance strike team on Mars, working with Franklin, Lyta and Garibaldi, slip the Shadow-altered telepaths aboard a fleet of thirty Earthforce destroyers which have been ordered to head off the inevitable attack from Sheridan. The fleet is being commanded by General Lefcourt, Sheridan’s tactical instructor from the academy, and he assumes that his old pupil will emerge from hyperspace, which he does – but at that moment, Lyta signals the telepaths to awaken and interface with the computers aboard the destroyers, effectively shutting the fleet down. Sheridan’s fleet quickly jumps to Earth to liberate the planet from the reign of President Clark, who will destroy Earth if he cannot rule it himself. And before the crucial battle at Earth, Marcus slips away from Sheridan’s fleet to perform his final duty aboard Babylon 5.
written by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by John Copeland
music by Christopher FrankeCast: Bruce Boxleitner (Captain Sheridan), Claudia Christian (Commander Ivanova), Jerry Doyle (Garibaldi), Mira Furlan (Delenn), Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Bill Mumy (Lennier), Jason Carter (Marcus Cole), Stephen Furst (Vir), Jeff Conaway (Zack Allan), Patricia Tallman (Lyta Alexander), Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar), Peter Jurasik (Londo), Ungela Brockman (Earthforce NCO), J. Patrick McCormack (General Lefcourt), Marjorie Monaghan (Number One), David Purdham (Captain James), Carolyn Seymour (Senator Crosby), Julian Stone (Captain Mitchell), Maggie Egan (ISN Anchor), Karen Fineman (Kelley), Rick Kramer (Earthforce Officer), Kenneth Cortland (Telepath), Gary McGurk (President Clark)
Notes: Bloopers are exceedingly rare in Babylon 5, but according to this episode’s visual effects, unless Sheridan’s battle at Earth took several hours (which doesn’t seem to be the case), it was daylight on both hemispheres! When Sheridan’s fleet arrives, it’s daylight over the Indian and African continents. But very near the end of the battle, which only takes several minutes onscreen, the sun is shining on the familiar outline of the United States. The visuals don’t seem to support artificial sunlight either. Oops!
LogBook entry by Earl Green